A walk in the forest of north eastern France

[Philippe]

Let's take a walk in the forest of north eastern France, on this late March saturday afternoon.
Spring flowering peak is now to observe here. Too warm weather for 2/3 weeks could compensate the very cold spell we had in the first half of February, and which had severely stopped the vegetation growth. Thus we have now plants flowering just quite in time. Important rainlack since several weeks doesn't seem to be too bad for the moment, and there are still some shady, cool and wet spots to find here and there, whereas others more exposed areas soon become obviously very dry.

Pics simply sorted in alphabetical order, beginning with the so common but very beautiful Anemone nemorosa. As I once told to myself walking amongst these little white stars: if this anemone species was not to find here, I would certainly deeply wish it would grow here. What a pleasant feeling to really appreciate a local flower. We are more often quite used to look for ungrowable plants coming from the other end of the world
The parented A.ranunculoides is also a true delight, making beautiful scenes, when mixed together with the blue of a scilla bifolia. Though common too, A.ranunculoides is not to find in such great population as A.nemorosa. The forest soil is never covered in yellow, as it's sometimes the case in white through A.nemorosa.

Cardamine pratensis, which is best appreciated when growing in big colonies in the clearer part of the forest, in moist soil.

Corydalis time, with several interesting color variations in the species cava. Also a beautiful exemplar of C.solida in the last pic.

[Philippe]

A forest way, with tree leaves generally just about to unfold.
Lathyrus vernus, unfortunately a bit too soon, as the pretty blue shade on older flowers isn't yet to see.
Here comes on of my top favourites: primula elatior. I simply love this plant, the sight of it sometimes turning the underbush in soft yellow light waves...Another common local plant I couldn't do without during spring.
Then comes the close relative P.veris in a more pronounced yellow hue, and with somewhat less showy flowers. A delicious scent though. Natural hybrid are sometimes to be found, even though the two plants don't grow exactly on the same places, P.elatior beeing rather a cool shade/forest plant, whereas P.veris is often growing in full sun on the sides of the forests, ways, or in grass-fields.

[Philippe]

A few other pics to finish. Pulmonaria obscura with this lovely combination of pink and blue flowers, some late Scilla biflora still in bud, Tussilago farfara then, on its last days. Vinca minor, from time to time carpeting the soil with its star-like flowers, and an undetermined viola drawing numerous mauves flakes on the grassy sides of the ways.
Hepaticas were already over.

[lettuce begin]

Wonderful pictures of the primulas .

[Maggi Young]

Philippe, what a colourful walk. I think it deserves a little space of its own.

 Apologies, LB.. had to move your post too!

[daveyp1970]

WOW the different colour forms of C.cava are lovely.

[Maren]

Philippe,
thank you for taking us on a lovely walk through the spring woods. It was most enjoyable, I could even hear the birds sing.

[Paul T]

Philippe,

Beautiful!  Such wonderfully exotic plants to find in your forest.  Some of the things I collect here come from there by the look of it.    So very far from home for me.  Thanks for showing us.

[Natalia]

Philip, thank you for the beautiful spring flowers for your forest!
Especially good Anemone  and Corydalis!

[Tim Ingram]

What wonderful photographs Philippe - it is so nice to look at plants through another's eyes. Thank you.

[Gerdk]

Philippe,
Wonderful sights!
It seems your local Corydalis solida competes with those from Transsylvania.

Gerd

[Philippe]

Here are other pics from today, in another place not very far away from the one of yesterday. I could find hepaticas still flowering, though already a bit pale looking. And even a totally white specimen, which I had never seen in the wild untill now. Now looking for a pink one next time
Love the third, with the 8 petals narrower and longer than they generally are on most other hepaticas. Almost Anemone blanda-like this way

[Philippe]

I begin again with the white flowering Anemone nemorosa, a truly marvelous ground cover for spring, the foliage soon disappearing with the first warm days of summer, to let place for other plants after that.
Note the superb pink variation. Pink coloured A.nemorosa are often to see, but most of the time when the flowers are fading and closing, so that only the reverse of the petals is pink. Here the whole flower, inside and outside, is pink, a lovely contrast with the yellow stamens/anthers. A cheap substitute for the pink Meconopsis sherriffii
I also found a single Daphne mezereum. The plants are nearly always very localized, never numerous, and don't seem to be really long lasting.
Potentilla neumanniana, I think, growing on calcareous soils in dry/poor soils, accompanied by a queen: Pulsatilla vulgaris, getting now in full flowering time.
In the end, what I believe could be the hybrid from which I spoke yesterday, between Primula elatior and P.veris. NOt sure of the parent pourcentage for this plant, but the more butter-yellow flower of the P.veris, with an orange ring in the throat, but flowers showier than P.veris, closer to the shape of the ones of P.elatior.

[Paddy Tobin]

Philippe,

Wonderful photographs of beautiful flowers. I would love to wander that forest in your company and meet these great plants.

The pink Anemone nemerosa is outstanding.

Paddy